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Daily Record
Daily Record
National
Emma Munbodh & Sophie Law

High street favourites that won't re-open in Scotland after Covid in household chain bloodbath

It's been a tumultuous year for Scotland's high streets, with the pandemic forcing dozens of household chains to call it quits and shut forever.

While the lockdown roadmap signals the light at the end of the tunnel for businesses after months of closure, some have failed to weather the storm and won't be reopening.

Under Scotland's current plans, hairdressers, salons, clothing outlets and many small, local businesses such as florists will gradually return by the last week of April if cases continue to drop.

But for many towns and cities, the high street will never be the same again after iconic chains that have been part of the UK's culture for decades crumbled under the pressure of Covid-19.

Paperchase is closing 27 stores while Jaeger, John Lewis, Edinburgh Woollen Mill, Bonmarché, Hays Travel and Prezzo will reduce their store counts.

Sir Philip Green's retail empire - which includes Topshop, Dorothy Perkins, Evans, Wallis, Topman, Burton, Miss Selfridge - will also run online-only after exchanging hands with new owners of Boohoo and Asos.

Here The Mirror takes a look at some of the businesses that will never return to the High Street...

Debenhams

Debenhams store in Glasgow closes down (PA)

Debenhams' 118 department stores have disappeared for good, including those in Scotland.

The company had already announced significant job losses and the permanent closure of six stores, including its flagship outlet on London's Oxford Street.

The UK's oldest department store officially went into administration in April last year after years of plummeting sales and crisis talks.

Debenhams will now run online under the Boohoo umbrella, which bought all of the intellectual property of department store from its administrators for £55million.

The website as well as customer data and related business information and selected contracts are included in the deal - but not the high street shops which are now expected to close for good.

It's understood that the stores will be open when lockdown lifts initially as the retailer clears stock.

Boohoo said it plans to rebuild and relaunch the Debenhams site, as it moves to become the top online fashion brand in the UK and expand into beauty, sport and homeware too.

Topshop, Topman, Miss Selfridge

Topshop and Topman closing down sale in store on Argyle Street, Glasgow (Daily Record)

ASOS has rescued Sir Philip Green's flagship Topshop brand for £295million - but that doesn't help the high street.

The online behemoth has acquired Topshop, Topman, Miss Selfridge and HIIT from the administrators of Arcadia, two months after it collapsed with a £750million deficit.

However, all stores in Scotland will close - with just 300 jobs saved across the UK.

In total, ASOS, which is owned by Scotland's richest man, Anders Holch Povlsen, worth £6.1billion, will pay £265million for the brands, plus a further £30million for all stock.

It will pay an additional £30million to account for any outstanding liabilities and creditor orders.

Approximately 300 employees across design, buying and retail partnerships will transfer to ASOS - at least 2,500 retail jobs will be lost as a result of the takeover.

Dorothy Perkins, Wallis, Burton

Online fashion giant Boohoo bought bits of Dorothy Perkins, Wallis and Burton (Getty Images)

Online fashion giant Boohoo bought bits of Dorothy Perkins, Wallis and Burton.

The £25million deal includes the website and stock, but none of the three chain’s 214 stores.

Dorothy Perkins has been a familiar face for generations, with the first shop opening in 1909 under the original name HP Newman.

It was bought out by Arcadia in 1979 but was hit hard when the pandemic bit last year.

Burton is even older, dating back to 1903, and had over 400 stores when Boohoo bought out the brand.

And women's fashion chain Wallis, established in 1923, had 134 shops when the axe fell last year.

Oasis and Warehouse

Efforts to save fashion chains Oasis and Warehouse failed last spring, seeing all stores now closed and 1,803 jobs lost.

The Idle Man and Bastyan Fashions were also part of the group and are now shut permanently too.

Between them, the fashion chains had 92 branches, with another 437 concessions based in third party retailers.

The chains first fell into administration on April 15 before administrators announced their permanent closure.

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